Creating a healthier transport system would bring substantial benefits for health, society and the economy, according to a prospective burden of disease study. The study used an existing multi-state life table model to estimate the longterm impact on health and health system costs of removing road injury and transport-related air pollution, and increasing physical activity to recommended levels through active transport. Results showed that 1.28 (95% uncertainty interval 1.11-1.5) million health-adjusted life years would be gained if the NZ resident population alive in 2011 was exposed to no further air pollution from transport, had no road traffic injuries and achieved at least the recommended weekly amount of physical activity through walking and cycling from 2011 onwards. In addition, 7.7 (95% uncertainty interval 10.2-5.6) billion (2011 NZ dollars) would be saved from the health system over the cohort’s lifetime. It is likely that more healthy years per capita would be gained by Māori than non-Māori, translating to small but important reductions (2-3%) in present life expectancy gaps.
